Canada women’s soccer coach said spying for ‘scouting’ was normal in email

The now-suspended caput coach of nan Canadian women’s shot squad said successful an email past twelvemonth that “spying” connected opponents “can beryllium nan quality betwixt winning and losing” and suggested different teams believe it — including nan Canadian men’s team.

The email from Bev Priestman was portion of an speech submitted to FIFA by Canada Soccer during disciplinary proceedings aft an expert from nan women’s team used a drone to spy connected New Zealand’s believe convention up of a matchup astatine nan Paris Olympics past week. The incident plunged Canada Soccer into a increasing morals ungraded successful nan mediate of nan Summer Games.

In FIFA’s study summarizing nan proceedings, released this week, Canada Soccer told nan sport’s governing assemblage nan find of nan speech led to Priestman’s suspension.

FIFA penalized Canada Soccer for nan spying incident by docking six points from nan women’s team, arsenic good arsenic levying a $300,000 good and suspending Priestman and 2 different unit members for a year. An entreaty of nan points conclusion was dismissed by nan Court of Arbitration for Sport connected Wednesday.

Canada Soccer has launched an investigation into what it has called a imaginable “systemic ethical shortcoming” wrong nan programme related to spying. The statement said Wednesday that an independent outer reappraisal has begun into nan Paris incident, which will besides subsequently look astatine “other issues of this matter, including its history.”

Priestman’s email speech “shows an expert resisting a petition from Ms. Priestman to prosecute successful flying drones for ‘scouting purposes,’ and frankincense ‘call(ed) into mobility whether this believe had been systemically embedded successful nan civilization of nan women’s nationalist team,'” FIFA’s study says.

According to nan report, Priestman was responding to an email from an unnamed Canadian women’s shot capacity expert sent connected March 20, 2023, pursuing an in-person gathering nan time before.

The expert writes nan 2 had a “spying conversation” and discussed “my reasons for maine being unwilling to do this moving forward,” including their civilized objections and fearing their estimation was astatine risk. The expert concluded by confirming “you will not beryllium asking maine to fulfil nan domiciled of ‘spying’ successful nan upcoming campy & early camps.”

That aforesaid day, Priestman forwarded nan analyst’s email to different Canada Soccer staffer, whose sanction is redacted but appears to beryllium successful nan quality resources department.

“Seeking your proposal and input present regarding this general email connected spying,” Priestman writes. “It’s thing nan expert has ever done and I cognize location is simply a full cognition connected nan Men’s broadside pinch regards to it.

“Yesterday successful a gathering erstwhile discussing, I asked to propose a replacement solution arsenic for scouting it tin beryllium nan quality betwixt winning and losing and each apical 10 teams do it. I received this much ‘formal’ email this greeting and truthful conscionable aft guidance really arsenic to what from a HR guidelines constituent I tin do aliases do I request to find different solution successful resourcing?”

FIFA’s study says nan emails are nan “additional information” alluded to by Canada Soccer successful its announcement Thursday evening that suggested Priestman had anterior knowledge of alleged squad spying operations. The statement said Priestman had been suspended for nan remainder of nan Paris Games and until nan completion of an independent review.

Priestman, who voluntarily removed herself from nan opening crippled against New Zealand aft nan spying allegation came to light, said nan erstwhile time she didn’t nonstop individuals to spy connected New Zealand and was “highly disappointed” to study of it.

The expert charged pinch flying nan drone, Joseph Lombardi, told FIFA during its investigation that he flew his individual drone complete nan New Zealand team’s believe twice, connected July 20 and 22, without informing aliases consulting squad staff.

In his connection to nan shot governing body, he said he was non-accredited and “wanted to impressment nan Canadian Women’s method unit pinch informed/accurate study to elevate my domiciled for early opportunities pinch nan team.”

“This determination was reckless and negligent connected my part, and I return 100% work for what has happened,” Lombardi wrote.

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Canada Soccer declined to remark straight connected Priestman’s remarks successful nan email speech regarding a “whole operation” of akin activity by nan Canada men’s team. A spokesperson pointed Global News to its Wednesday connection connected nan motorboat of nan outer review.

John Herdman, who was caput coach of nan men’s squad astatine nan clip Priestman sent nan email and now coaches Toronto FC, told reporters Friday he had nary engagement successful immoderate alleged spying during his tenure, but provided fewer specifics erstwhile pressed.

“I’ve ever gone into Olympic Games, World Cups, large events, pinch integrity successful mind and nan expertise to compete astatine nan highest level, pursuing nan rules and processes,” he said. “So for my side, I’ll thief Canada Soccer wherever I tin pinch that review.

“But I’m highly assured that successful my clip arsenic a caput coach astatine an Olympic Games aliases World Cup we’ve ne'er been progressive successful immoderate of those activities.”

Herdman took complete nan Canadian women’s squad successful 2011, switching complete to nan men’s broadside successful January 2018.

The Canada women’s squad won bronze under Herdman at nan 2012 Games successful London and 2016 Games successful Rio. Herdman also took nan men’s squad to nan 2022 FIFA World Cup successful Qatar.

Herdman besides declined to stock his thoughts connected really prevalent specified spying is successful world shot competitions.

“I’ll spell done that process pinch Canada Soccer. I deliberation thing I opportunity now, it’s conscionable going to bring much spotlight to this business … For me, nan integrity of nan review’s important and if I’m asked to contribute, I’ll beryllium there.

Asked successful an earlier virtual readiness Friday astir imaginable akin misbehaviour during Herdman’s tenure arsenic coach, Canada Soccer’s CEO and wide caput Kevin Blue said: “I do expect that nan scope of our reappraisal will see … an effort to understand nan history of nan rumor and to nan grade that involves our erstwhile labor aliases erstwhile coaching staff.”

Blue has acknowledged that location was besides “an lawsuit of attempted drone usage” during nan caller Copa America, and that location was “information that could tarnish” nan women’s team’s golden badge triumph astatine nan Tokyo Olympics successful 2021 — wherever Priestman was nan caput coach for Canada.

—With files from nan Canadian Press